Alaska tsunami warning system test next week

Posted: March 21, 2013 - 12:11am

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and its emergency management partners plan to conduct a test of Alaska’s tsunami warning communications system next Wednesday at 9:45 a.m., the agency announced Wednesday morning.

According to NOAA, the emergency test will be broadcast on local television and radio stations, as well as on NOAA Weather Radio. Residents in some communities may hear warning sirens.

NOAA is also warning that some emergency alert messages may not contain the word “test,” although according to the agency, audio messages that accompany TV alerts will say the alert is only a test.

The test is part of Tsunami Preparedness Week, proclaimed by Gov. Sean Parnell as March 24 to March 30, and is a cooperative effort of NOAA’s National Weather Service, Alaska’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Alaska Broadcasters Association, and local emergency management officials.

During Tsunami Preparedness Week, emergency managers urge coastal residents to review information on what to do in the event of a tsunami. NOAA’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center Web site offers information, including the current status of tsunami watches, warnings and advisories. A list of frequently asked tsunami questions and answers as well as tsunami safety rules can be found on the Center’s site under “Education.”